Kindling
March 3, 2009 7:26 AM Subscribe
We're investigating getting a Kindle... is the Kindle 2 the right one to get, or should we wait for technology to improve?
I'm HORRID at knowing when to "jump in" to a new technology. It seems just when I buy a product, a new and much improved one comes along.
We're thinking about getting a Kindle, and I'm wondering if we should wait for the next version of the Kindle, or just get Kindle 2. I don't want to be like all those poor souls who bought the Kindle for Christmas, only to be proven obsolute 8 weeks later!
I'm HORRID at knowing when to "jump in" to a new technology. It seems just when I buy a product, a new and much improved one comes along.
We're thinking about getting a Kindle, and I'm wondering if we should wait for the next version of the Kindle, or just get Kindle 2. I don't want to be like all those poor souls who bought the Kindle for Christmas, only to be proven obsolute 8 weeks later!
It seems that the higher-profile consumer technology devices (iPods, Kindles, etc) get refreshed once a year. Since Kindle2 just came out, and I don't know that the price point will come down for the next version in a year, this would be a good time to buy.
posted by sjuhawk31 at 7:35 AM on March 3, 2009
posted by sjuhawk31 at 7:35 AM on March 3, 2009
Best answer: Delaying any technology purchase will always result in a better product for less money. In exchange, you don't get to use the existing technology now.
There's nothing immediately rumored to supplant the Kindle 2, and it's pretty obvious that Amazon won't introduce the 3 for a year or so, so it's probably pretty safe to buy now. But, you could easily see something substantially better within months, as competitors respond to the 2. And then there will be something to supplant those, and then something better still.
Look at it from this perspective: does the Kindle 2 do exactly what you want it to do? If it doesn't, wait until a product does.
My annoyance with the Kindle 2 is simply that the screen's too small. It should be a little wider and a couple inches longer, to match the size of a paperback. But it's quite usable as is.
You might want to wait for something that has the same 16-grayscale screen that the Kindle does, but either in a larger format or with better PDF support, if either of those features matter to you, and you don't mind losing the instant access to the Amazon store.
posted by Malor at 7:38 AM on March 3, 2009 [1 favorite]
There's nothing immediately rumored to supplant the Kindle 2, and it's pretty obvious that Amazon won't introduce the 3 for a year or so, so it's probably pretty safe to buy now. But, you could easily see something substantially better within months, as competitors respond to the 2. And then there will be something to supplant those, and then something better still.
Look at it from this perspective: does the Kindle 2 do exactly what you want it to do? If it doesn't, wait until a product does.
My annoyance with the Kindle 2 is simply that the screen's too small. It should be a little wider and a couple inches longer, to match the size of a paperback. But it's quite usable as is.
You might want to wait for something that has the same 16-grayscale screen that the Kindle does, but either in a larger format or with better PDF support, if either of those features matter to you, and you don't mind losing the instant access to the Amazon store.
posted by Malor at 7:38 AM on March 3, 2009 [1 favorite]
I shortly considered getting one. For one thing, it looks a lot better than the 1.
I decided not to because
- I hate that it can not read PDF's (jeez, amazon!)
- I would buy it to increase my reading speed (I hate flicking pages when I'm in bed, leaning on my elbows), but it seems the page turning in Kindle 2 is nail bitingly slow.
- I'm afraid that the collection of ebooks at this point is pretty limited
posted by NekulturnY at 7:58 AM on March 3, 2009
I decided not to because
- I hate that it can not read PDF's (jeez, amazon!)
- I would buy it to increase my reading speed (I hate flicking pages when I'm in bed, leaning on my elbows), but it seems the page turning in Kindle 2 is nail bitingly slow.
- I'm afraid that the collection of ebooks at this point is pretty limited
posted by NekulturnY at 7:58 AM on March 3, 2009
Get it. You'll always be waiting for something better.
I hate that it can not read PDF's (jeez, amazon!)
This is sort-of true. Amazon has a service to convert PDF's to the Kindle's (proprietary) format for reading on the device. It's $.10 a pop, though.
I'm afraid that the collection of ebooks at this point is pretty limited
Is this some kind of niche thing? There are almost a quarter billion titles.
posted by mkultra at 8:06 AM on March 3, 2009
I hate that it can not read PDF's (jeez, amazon!)
This is sort-of true. Amazon has a service to convert PDF's to the Kindle's (proprietary) format for reading on the device. It's $.10 a pop, though.
I'm afraid that the collection of ebooks at this point is pretty limited
Is this some kind of niche thing? There are almost a quarter billion titles.
posted by mkultra at 8:06 AM on March 3, 2009
Best answer: Some thoughts from a Kindle owner: the Kindle is really a very nice device that I have no qualms recommneding. Realize, however, that at it's heart, it's an eInk device, grafted to Amazon's huge ebook retail store, with convenient wireless access. The technology (eInk), is really fantastic, a great reading experience that, in my opinion, rivals print in many ways, and in others, exceeds the reading experience of the printed page but Amazon's digital distribution is a wholly different beast..
If you are worried about falling behind the technology curve, there's two main issues to consider: (1) is it likely that Amazon will introduce new technological features that will make the old versions of the reader seem obsolete? and (2) Will the price, availability, and selection of the Kindle eBook selection change significantly between the time you buy the Kindle, and the next time book publishers decide to pull the rug out from under Amazon?
In my opinion, you really don't have to worry about (1). eInk is a really amazing technology, and for what the Kindle does (display of text-based, flowing prose-style eBooks), it's in no danger of becoming worryingly obsolete. Don't hold your breath waiting for color, touch-screen, or native PDF support. All of those are gee whiz features demanded by vocal commentors on tech sites, but are at best tangential to the Kindle's niche (high-contrast, long-battery life display of text-based books), and at worst, actively hostile to eInk's unique advantages (David Pogue in the New York Times pointed out that the Sony Reader 700's addition of a touch screen functionally ruined the great advantage eInk has over other kinds of devices: high contrast, non-glare reading).
You should worry about (2) however. The idea of the Kindle Store is what makes the Kindle's high price tag worthwhile: easy access to an eBook selection that is many times larger than any other eBook retailer, at prices that, for awhile, seemed finally logical. When the Kindle Store was introduced, the $9.99 price point was nearly-sacrosanct for hardcovers, and for books in paperback, the price was always much less than the print version (as it should be). But I've noticed a worrying trend lately: more and more Kindle books are creeping up in price, and the increases are accelerating. Many hardcovers are $9.99 still, but many are more expensive, some much more. Not many are as expensive as a hardcover retail, but it seems to be heading that way. For paperbacks, the situation is even more dire. It's getting harder to find many in-print paperbacks that aren't significantly discounted from their print-edition counterparts (many are even more expensive). This is a very bad thing for Kindle owners, and points out the tenuous situation the Kindle store is in right now: publishers are demanding higher prices, and Amazon is caving. Without the price differential, the Kindle becomes a much less desirable technology: you're paying a premium to access DRM-limited, non resellable content in a limited format, and now the publishers are demanding that you pay full retail price for it. We'll see if Amazon can do anything to reverse this trend.
posted by Eldritch at 8:09 AM on March 3, 2009 [1 favorite]
If you are worried about falling behind the technology curve, there's two main issues to consider: (1) is it likely that Amazon will introduce new technological features that will make the old versions of the reader seem obsolete? and (2) Will the price, availability, and selection of the Kindle eBook selection change significantly between the time you buy the Kindle, and the next time book publishers decide to pull the rug out from under Amazon?
In my opinion, you really don't have to worry about (1). eInk is a really amazing technology, and for what the Kindle does (display of text-based, flowing prose-style eBooks), it's in no danger of becoming worryingly obsolete. Don't hold your breath waiting for color, touch-screen, or native PDF support. All of those are gee whiz features demanded by vocal commentors on tech sites, but are at best tangential to the Kindle's niche (high-contrast, long-battery life display of text-based books), and at worst, actively hostile to eInk's unique advantages (David Pogue in the New York Times pointed out that the Sony Reader 700's addition of a touch screen functionally ruined the great advantage eInk has over other kinds of devices: high contrast, non-glare reading).
You should worry about (2) however. The idea of the Kindle Store is what makes the Kindle's high price tag worthwhile: easy access to an eBook selection that is many times larger than any other eBook retailer, at prices that, for awhile, seemed finally logical. When the Kindle Store was introduced, the $9.99 price point was nearly-sacrosanct for hardcovers, and for books in paperback, the price was always much less than the print version (as it should be). But I've noticed a worrying trend lately: more and more Kindle books are creeping up in price, and the increases are accelerating. Many hardcovers are $9.99 still, but many are more expensive, some much more. Not many are as expensive as a hardcover retail, but it seems to be heading that way. For paperbacks, the situation is even more dire. It's getting harder to find many in-print paperbacks that aren't significantly discounted from their print-edition counterparts (many are even more expensive). This is a very bad thing for Kindle owners, and points out the tenuous situation the Kindle store is in right now: publishers are demanding higher prices, and Amazon is caving. Without the price differential, the Kindle becomes a much less desirable technology: you're paying a premium to access DRM-limited, non resellable content in a limited format, and now the publishers are demanding that you pay full retail price for it. We'll see if Amazon can do anything to reverse this trend.
posted by Eldritch at 8:09 AM on March 3, 2009 [1 favorite]
One thing I do that will prevent me from buying devices like this"
I buy books I know I will like, in hardback, when they first come out. When I have finished with them, I send them to friends as "new gifts." They love it. I love it. They then give to library or to another friend. The buck (and the book) does not stop here, Harry.
posted by Postroad at 8:17 AM on March 3, 2009
I buy books I know I will like, in hardback, when they first come out. When I have finished with them, I send them to friends as "new gifts." They love it. I love it. They then give to library or to another friend. The buck (and the book) does not stop here, Harry.
posted by Postroad at 8:17 AM on March 3, 2009
Is this some kind of niche thing?
I guess it is. Searching for "Lyndon Johnson" in the Kindle store turned up 3 biographies, but not "The Years of Lyndon Johnson" by Robert A. Caro, which is probably the only one you need to read.
I think the Kindle is amazing if your reading is very up to date and contemporary, and mostly fiction. I string mostly non fiction books together based on a random walk: one book leads to a new book, which leads to another book. It doesn't take long before you have to buy "used and new" books, believe me. I have zero faith in Amazon's power to bring a lot of these books to the e-store anytime soon.
I can imagine getting a Kindle when Amazon stocks every pulpy thriller in there, though (pulpy thrillers being the other half of my book diet).
posted by NekulturnY at 8:19 AM on March 3, 2009
I guess it is. Searching for "Lyndon Johnson" in the Kindle store turned up 3 biographies, but not "The Years of Lyndon Johnson" by Robert A. Caro, which is probably the only one you need to read.
I think the Kindle is amazing if your reading is very up to date and contemporary, and mostly fiction. I string mostly non fiction books together based on a random walk: one book leads to a new book, which leads to another book. It doesn't take long before you have to buy "used and new" books, believe me. I have zero faith in Amazon's power to bring a lot of these books to the e-store anytime soon.
I can imagine getting a Kindle when Amazon stocks every pulpy thriller in there, though (pulpy thrillers being the other half of my book diet).
posted by NekulturnY at 8:19 AM on March 3, 2009
I hate that it can not read PDF's (jeez, amazon!)
This is a common complaint about the Kindle, and one that really isn't very important for the Kindle. PDFs are a terrible, terrible format for reading books. And right now, the size and cost of eInk displays mean that trying to display PDFs natively would either be an exercise in unreadable squinting, or would demand a cost-prohibitive size of screen (for that sort of thing, look at the only current eInk device tailored to do so, the iRex iliad. I hope $700 is a good price point for you.)
This is in addition to the fact that adding the computing power to support full, native PDF support would likely kill the other advantage of eInk devices: low power requirements. I'd rather not have a heavier device or one with less battery life in exchange for being able to read a format that doesn't flow, can't be dynamically resized, takes up ridiculous amounts of storage, and converts terribly to actual text formats.
posted by Eldritch at 8:21 AM on March 3, 2009
This is a common complaint about the Kindle, and one that really isn't very important for the Kindle. PDFs are a terrible, terrible format for reading books. And right now, the size and cost of eInk displays mean that trying to display PDFs natively would either be an exercise in unreadable squinting, or would demand a cost-prohibitive size of screen (for that sort of thing, look at the only current eInk device tailored to do so, the iRex iliad. I hope $700 is a good price point for you.)
This is in addition to the fact that adding the computing power to support full, native PDF support would likely kill the other advantage of eInk devices: low power requirements. I'd rather not have a heavier device or one with less battery life in exchange for being able to read a format that doesn't flow, can't be dynamically resized, takes up ridiculous amounts of storage, and converts terribly to actual text formats.
posted by Eldritch at 8:21 AM on March 3, 2009
I don't have any direct experience with the Kindle, but I test-drove a Sony PRS-505 a few weeks ago when I was thinking about buying it from a friend. My opinion is that the small screen, slow refresh rate, and slow UI mean it's not yet ready for prime-time. The slow UI (sometimes up to a second between button press and screen redraw) may be PRS-505-specific, but eInk is slow in general. Every screen redraw will take about 1/2 second. I was also annoyed with the PRS-505's poor PDF reflow -- I read a lot of academic papers and while many reflowed alright, figures that spanned multiple columns and other fairly standard formatting could force it to render everything as a zoomed-out non-reflowed page, hard to read. Since Kindle doesn't handle PDFs directly, this probably isn't a concern for you, but to reiterate -- reading 8.5x11" PDFs does not work well on the small-screen eInk devices right now. I figure I'll be buying something akin to the iRex iLiad in a couple of years, once the price comes down.
I've heard a lot of great reviews from people using the Kindle to read Amazon-purchased ebooks, however, so don't let my specific caveats turn you off unless you're interested in reading letter-size PDFs. I sat next to a guy on a flight last year who spent most of the hour extolling the benefits of having a bookshelf of leisure and reference materials available in a tiny, light package.
posted by Alterscape at 8:22 AM on March 3, 2009
I've heard a lot of great reviews from people using the Kindle to read Amazon-purchased ebooks, however, so don't let my specific caveats turn you off unless you're interested in reading letter-size PDFs. I sat next to a guy on a flight last year who spent most of the hour extolling the benefits of having a bookshelf of leisure and reference materials available in a tiny, light package.
posted by Alterscape at 8:22 AM on March 3, 2009
As someone who owns both a Kindle 1 and a Kindle 2, I may be the wrong one to answer since I am addicted to the latest gadgets in all forms. However, more than many other consumer gadgets, I love the Kindle. A big factor for me is that I am a very fast reader and I need to bring three or four books per trip. With the Kindle, I get thousands of books in one small footprint. I love it in the same way I loved the iPod -- it takes something I already enjoyed and makes it much better.
I wouldn't worry that much about the release point of new devices. For one, the Kindle 2 just came out (I got one of the very first ones, and I've had it less than a week). This suggests that you will have at least a year, maybe longer before the next generation. For another, the differences between Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 are relatively small. My wife uses the Kindle 1, she's obviously seen and messed with my Kindle 2 and she doesn't seem impressed by the new technology at all. She's perfectly happy with the original Kindle. It is likely that people who aren't like me will remain happy with their Kindle 2 whenever the Kindle 3 arrives.
Concern that the page size is smaller than a paperbook is probably a concern that is unique to new owners of the device. I remember thinking that, but after using it for a time, you realize that your eyes only look at a fairly small section of text at any given time and that the only value of a larger screen would be less frequent page turns. A concern, but not a terribly big one to me once I had used the Kindle for a while. In terms of the page turning speed, I did find it a bit slow on the original Kindle, but the K2 seems fine to me. When I time it it appears to take about 9/10ths of a second to change the page. When I time how long it takes me to physically turn the page on a book, it appears to take me a bit longer than a second.
Eldritch is correct that pricing strategies in the future might be a problem. When I bought the original, prices of 9.99 where the rule. I have increasingly been seeing books in the $15 range and this concerns me. I have a friend who is a small publisher of niche books and he tells me that Amazon pays the publishers a lower percentage of the sales price for Kindle books than they do for paper books, so I'm not sure it is greedy publishers that are the real problem here.
posted by Lame_username at 8:31 AM on March 3, 2009 [1 favorite]
I wouldn't worry that much about the release point of new devices. For one, the Kindle 2 just came out (I got one of the very first ones, and I've had it less than a week). This suggests that you will have at least a year, maybe longer before the next generation. For another, the differences between Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 are relatively small. My wife uses the Kindle 1, she's obviously seen and messed with my Kindle 2 and she doesn't seem impressed by the new technology at all. She's perfectly happy with the original Kindle. It is likely that people who aren't like me will remain happy with their Kindle 2 whenever the Kindle 3 arrives.
Concern that the page size is smaller than a paperbook is probably a concern that is unique to new owners of the device. I remember thinking that, but after using it for a time, you realize that your eyes only look at a fairly small section of text at any given time and that the only value of a larger screen would be less frequent page turns. A concern, but not a terribly big one to me once I had used the Kindle for a while. In terms of the page turning speed, I did find it a bit slow on the original Kindle, but the K2 seems fine to me. When I time it it appears to take about 9/10ths of a second to change the page. When I time how long it takes me to physically turn the page on a book, it appears to take me a bit longer than a second.
Eldritch is correct that pricing strategies in the future might be a problem. When I bought the original, prices of 9.99 where the rule. I have increasingly been seeing books in the $15 range and this concerns me. I have a friend who is a small publisher of niche books and he tells me that Amazon pays the publishers a lower percentage of the sales price for Kindle books than they do for paper books, so I'm not sure it is greedy publishers that are the real problem here.
posted by Lame_username at 8:31 AM on March 3, 2009 [1 favorite]
I stayed away from the Kindle things because I understand that they do not always reproduce the graphics that are in a book.
Pleah! I want to read a book and suddenly not be able to see the diagram they refer to? I don't think so!
posted by Drasher at 8:38 AM on March 3, 2009
Pleah! I want to read a book and suddenly not be able to see the diagram they refer to? I don't think so!
posted by Drasher at 8:38 AM on March 3, 2009
I'll agree their selection isn't very useful.
Sure, they have plenty of fiction. But fiction is something that I want to physically own.
I think the e-ink device is perfect for magazines and newspapers. I want the information quickly, but after I read it, I have no need for it. Their selection on this material is pitiful.
If they were to start stocking the Economist, I'd probably reverse my opinion on the spot tho. I've tried ordering the Economist a few times, and apparently my mailman keeps stealing it.
posted by politikitty at 8:48 AM on March 3, 2009
Sure, they have plenty of fiction. But fiction is something that I want to physically own.
I think the e-ink device is perfect for magazines and newspapers. I want the information quickly, but after I read it, I have no need for it. Their selection on this material is pitiful.
If they were to start stocking the Economist, I'd probably reverse my opinion on the spot tho. I've tried ordering the Economist a few times, and apparently my mailman keeps stealing it.
posted by politikitty at 8:48 AM on March 3, 2009
e-Ink's not terribly high resolution, but with the 16 grayscales in version 2, it does a fairly good job of reproducing graphics.
You wouldn't mistake it for print, but it's pretty acceptable.
posted by Malor at 8:51 AM on March 3, 2009
You wouldn't mistake it for print, but it's pretty acceptable.
posted by Malor at 8:51 AM on March 3, 2009
As a by-the-way, the Kindle 2 is not that much of an upgrade over the Kindle 1. Its screen is slightly better at reproducing graphics, with 16 gray scale vs. 8, and it has a prettier form factor, but it still performs the same task in the same way. The battery life is better, but that was never really an issue with the Kindle 1, I get about a week of battery life if I keep the wireless off.
The Kindle 2 does use 3g, while the Kindle 1 uses what I assume was EDGE for its internet connection. That will make zero difference in downloading -- the book files are so small that they download in seconds with either connection. It may however make a difference with the web browsing which is fairly clunky with the Kindle 1.
What hasn't changed is the functionality -- the process of getting and reading a book is exactly the same with either device. The screen is the same size and the fonts are the same. The Kindle 2 may turn pages slightly faster, but both of them are faster than turning pages in a physical book.
I usually have a horrible case of technology lust, but I haven't really felt the urge to upgrade. However, many people have so there is a good secondary market for Kindle 1's. You may want to consider taking a middle position and buy a used Kindle 1 and wait for the next great leap (I'm looking for a larger screen and changeable fonts).
posted by rtimmel at 9:07 AM on March 3, 2009
The Kindle 2 does use 3g, while the Kindle 1 uses what I assume was EDGE for its internet connection. That will make zero difference in downloading -- the book files are so small that they download in seconds with either connection. It may however make a difference with the web browsing which is fairly clunky with the Kindle 1.
What hasn't changed is the functionality -- the process of getting and reading a book is exactly the same with either device. The screen is the same size and the fonts are the same. The Kindle 2 may turn pages slightly faster, but both of them are faster than turning pages in a physical book.
I usually have a horrible case of technology lust, but I haven't really felt the urge to upgrade. However, many people have so there is a good secondary market for Kindle 1's. You may want to consider taking a middle position and buy a used Kindle 1 and wait for the next great leap (I'm looking for a larger screen and changeable fonts).
posted by rtimmel at 9:07 AM on March 3, 2009
I work for a publisher with a few dozen books in the Kindle program so I don't want to discourage you from buying one but I haven't gotten one for myself, basically because the proprietary nature of the product. In the interest of full disclosure, the university I work for has purchased both Sony Readers and Kindles for the faculty and students and I've been using them both for free. But I have a real problem with buying a book that dies with the device. And the device is entirely dependent on one company, Amazon. The files are not interchangeable with any other device (though that may change as the Kindle 2 has a rather mysterious new feature called Wispersync which may allow it to tether other devices to the same account) and they aren't transferable. In other words, they work only on your Kindle, no one else'. Sort of a ReadForSure rights management scheme. You cannot share or sell or trade these books. And if Amazon decided to abandon the Mobi format, you could find yourself with nothing for your investment.
On the other hand, O'Reilly Radar reports today that the fastest growing category in the iTunes App Store is digital books. You may find that waiting on a Kindle might just save you a bunch of money and you may soon find there are ample other devices and opportunities to read books electronically.
I review the Kindle on my work blog here, and compare the original Kindle to the Sony Reader here.
posted by Toekneesan at 10:18 AM on March 3, 2009
On the other hand, O'Reilly Radar reports today that the fastest growing category in the iTunes App Store is digital books. You may find that waiting on a Kindle might just save you a bunch of money and you may soon find there are ample other devices and opportunities to read books electronically.
I review the Kindle on my work blog here, and compare the original Kindle to the Sony Reader here.
posted by Toekneesan at 10:18 AM on March 3, 2009
The only thing that keeps me from jumping on the Kindle bandwagon is that you have to buy books for it from Amazon. I read waaaaaay too much to spend $10/book. My public library, where I get 99% of my reading material, offers books in e-book format for free but in a format incompatible with the Kindle. The ebook readers that are compatible with the public library format are prohibitively expensive. So I'm basically waiting for the perfect confluence of price point and compatibility, at which point I will buy an ebook reader and never look back.
posted by jennyb at 10:26 AM on March 3, 2009
posted by jennyb at 10:26 AM on March 3, 2009
jenny, are you sure it won't read your files? I'm using PRCs from Baen and they're fine.
posted by Malor at 10:52 AM on March 3, 2009
posted by Malor at 10:52 AM on March 3, 2009
My public library, where I get 99% of my reading material, offers books in e-book format for free but in a format incompatible with the KindleDo you know what format your library uses? There is a very high probability that you can read them, but you may need to run them through a program on your PC. If you don't know the format, if you can tell me the file extension, I can probably tell you from that.
posted by Lame_username at 11:46 AM on March 3, 2009
Is this some kind of niche thing? There are almost a quarter billion titles.
240000 is a quarter million, not a quarter billion. Very big difference!
posted by dmd at 11:57 AM on March 3, 2009 [1 favorite]
240000 is a quarter million, not a quarter billion. Very big difference!
posted by dmd at 11:57 AM on March 3, 2009 [1 favorite]
From just a price perspective:
I would love to get a Kindle, but my reading habits don't make it cost-effective enough at its current price. You didn't mention whether you'll be reading books, newspapers, magazines, research papers or other types of documents. I think you should see if the costs even out for you between the cost of the Kindle vs how much you actually spend on your reading habit.
If we say the average kindle book on Amazon is about $10 (and as others have said, you are required to buy through Amazon), it would mean that I'd have to read about 3 books per month to break even on the price in a year.
However, if you're a daily reader of the New York Times, you can buy a Kindle ($359) + Monthly NYT subscription ($13.99/month = $168/year) = $527 and actually save over the dead trees being delivered to your door daily ($828 on Amazon for newspaper subscription).
I don't think it's out of the question to expect a refresh of the Kindle in one or 1.5 years, which is why I'm calculating based on the cost of ownership for a year.
posted by sub-culture at 1:14 PM on March 3, 2009
I would love to get a Kindle, but my reading habits don't make it cost-effective enough at its current price. You didn't mention whether you'll be reading books, newspapers, magazines, research papers or other types of documents. I think you should see if the costs even out for you between the cost of the Kindle vs how much you actually spend on your reading habit.
If we say the average kindle book on Amazon is about $10 (and as others have said, you are required to buy through Amazon), it would mean that I'd have to read about 3 books per month to break even on the price in a year.
However, if you're a daily reader of the New York Times, you can buy a Kindle ($359) + Monthly NYT subscription ($13.99/month = $168/year) = $527 and actually save over the dead trees being delivered to your door daily ($828 on Amazon for newspaper subscription).
I don't think it's out of the question to expect a refresh of the Kindle in one or 1.5 years, which is why I'm calculating based on the cost of ownership for a year.
posted by sub-culture at 1:14 PM on March 3, 2009
To clear up one point -- the kindle recognizes several formats -- mobi and txt to name two important ones -- so you are not completely tethered to Amazon. Plus there is free software out there Mobipocket Ebook Creator that will convert many other formats -- Word, PDF and Html, to name three more -- into the mobi format. Wihile you must load these via UBS cable, there are plenty of sources, for free and at cost, for all of those formats.
posted by rtimmel at 3:03 PM on March 3, 2009
posted by rtimmel at 3:03 PM on March 3, 2009
Do you have an iPhone?
As of Wednesday March 4, you can download a free software app that lets you read kindle books on your iPhone. Should you choose to buy a kindle later, the books you already bought would be available on both devices.
posted by bchaplin at 4:47 AM on March 4, 2009
As of Wednesday March 4, you can download a free software app that lets you read kindle books on your iPhone. Should you choose to buy a kindle later, the books you already bought would be available on both devices.
posted by bchaplin at 4:47 AM on March 4, 2009
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It seems that way because that's how technology works. No one dusts off their hands and says, "Job well done! Let's invent something new!" Gotta keep improving =]
The Kindle 2 just came out so it's early in life-cycle which is good news for you.
posted by zephyr_words at 7:30 AM on March 3, 2009